Good post asylumseeker.
The T&T captain Ms Johnson is a very clever player, but she have to be careful cause she like to get cards, we need her.
She has improve a lot.
Still find Tasha did not make any impact.
Other than that, I agree with your post.
We need to be ready mentally.
And we need to make better use of the ball.
One big problem with our team and I saw this vs Mexico and Costa Rica, we does give away de ball to easily and sometime to close to our own box down de center and if we did not have a good keeper was more goal in we ass.
We need to fix that.
De team improve in de defensive department but they need some good attacking training. Waldrum seems like he strong in defense training.
Our forward player all over de place and we expecting her to run from midfield.
De coach using Mollon and Cordner wrongly.
These players can make things happen up front, we need to utilize that, we cant have players running from midfield and by the time they reach up front they tired or they have no options.
Some little tweaks need fixing up front.
We have de players.
A system like this is good for de return game.
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These are items I have thoughts on, but preferred to defer discussing ... but since you've raised them, ah will comment lil bit.
1. Tasha St. LouisA player of pedigree, but with a health situation (ah doh know the specifics, but it's evident) that is restricting her effectiveness/impact. Sometimes when faced with situations like this, coaches opt for the player being on the field to deliver a moment of magic. This comes with downsides that tend to mean that other players have to compensate for the injured player's inability to do certain things.
It also means that teammates should be tuned in enough to know that they can play that player only certain types of passes ... yesterday I saw a couple of "not so thoughtful" balls into Tasha that she could never address in her present state.
It also means we have to be clear as to which player we need/want addressing the final ball. If chances are going to come rarely, yuh better get the right personnel there. However, once a player is on the field, I expect a lil something from the player ... especially in these situations. So yeah, fair play on that point.
It's essential for the coach to know when to deal another hand. Because yuh could only linger in sentimentality and romanticism fuh so long ... ultimately, the takeaway here might be that we need to do a deep genealogical search to find a pre-done baller eligible to play for us ... OR ... toss an understudy into the deep end, and work in earnest between now and December 2 on that player's ability to impose her will on the opponent, and cohesive understanding with fellow attackers.
As it stands, the Tasha option seems to tip the scales when Coachman glances at his bench. So, it is what it is.
2. Our improvement defensively versus where we are in the attacking departmentIn an elimination situation, no surprise why we drill home a defensive commitment. We have several players with natural attacking instincts and attacking commitment. However, what a couple of these players need to cultivate is where they need to be defensively should attacking movement break down. Even on set plays, we don't read well enough where second balls are likely to break. Two passes by a more surgical opponent could slice us open.
Regarding cohesive understanding, I would say Mollon and Cordner have an attacking expectation/understanding of each other, but because they play at some distance apart ... this makes the pivotal ingredient the combination play and movement of any
third player in attack (typically the player working off Mollon) ... this is an area where things are not "tight". It's not bad, but it isn't sufficiently orchestrated.
Sometimes yesterday, particularly in the first half ... YaYa was underutilized (although in good positions), and somewhat due to no link-up play through third player options (if there was a third player option). Basically this problem comes down to incorporating the midfield into the attack ... yesterday, circumstances weren't perfect so ah empathise with the coaching staff on that one because they were trying to strike a defensive balance. The alternative would have been playing long, diagonal balls (almost from flank to flank) ... but that would have been a risky proposition ... and ah not even sure we have personnel who could hit those.
When Ecuador had the ball in advanced areas, you could see their attacking intent, what their dynamism created (seams etc.), and how we could be exploited. In football you want players to be unpredictable, BUT ... when an attack
is predictable and yuh can't stop the attack (or are troubled by it) ... it speaks volumes to that attack.
When we had the ball in attack, our players at times looked like independent actors rather than clearly on the same page. So, there is something in what yuh saying in terms of the product we saw ... but in fairness, this is still a work in progress. After we qualify, we should see things worked out as the staff can focus more liberally on the attacking element.
Mollon did "come" for the ball. This did work her physically. She did well in doing that. I think she did that because
she wants the ball. Ah doh think Coach necessarily expects her to work for it there. However, in observing that, I would note that her coming for the ball also allowed her to be in place to contribute some robust challenges to break up Ecuador generating an attack ... so on both sides of the ball, we got some measure of good from her.
3. Loss of possession in sensitive areasThis is undeniably correct. Usually occurred, not so much through passes (although I can think of one horrible square pass that could have poisoned us), but through dribbling.
Our players need to appreciate when releasing the ball is the preferred option. Because we have issues in transition, loss of possession in advanced areas for the opponent needlessly creates exposure for us in ways that are entirely avoidable.
I found myself cussing when these unforced errors occurred. Ah doh want to be cynical, but if you consider our tactical posture yesterday, rather than losing the ball through dribbling in those areas, I would have preferred to see the culprits play the ball into space behind the opposing defence ... away from the opposing keeper ... Consequence: their defenders turn their backs to our goal and chase the balls, and we obtain time to organize our lines. Same occurrence if the ball goes out of touch. It's a fundamental way of releasing pressure.
Ah have to say that King's pass selection in terms of where ... and the type of balls to release pressure was excellent. Some of the lofted balls she played ... gave just enough to restore order and didn't risk any loss of possession in sensitive areas.
At the end of the day, what is past is past. The stage is set for us to make adjustments. The flip side of this is that Ecuador understands a bit more about our playing culture ... even if we feel we will deliver a stronger product on December 2, I feel they feel they will deliver a stronger product too.
Four years ago, at age 22, Arauz got into this gig because she finished at the top of her coaching cohort (not 1st, but possibly 2nd out of 22 candidates, and the first Ecuadoran woman to be credentialled). She had no idea it was coming (the federation president dropped the news on her at the graduation ceremony). The guy who finished 1st got a wuk with the U15s and 16s.
I think she's hanging pretty well, and has accomplished a lot to be on the door of WC qualification. No one in our camp should take anything for granted.